How to run a Cabin Crew Job Search

You know that it's the job for you. You've done all the reading, and you understand that working as a flight attendant isn't all glamour and excitement. You know there's hard work and commitment involved, and that the money - well, no one becomes a cabin crew to get rich, after all. It doesn't matter - you've got your mind made up, and you're about to embark on a flight attendant job search. Here are some tips on conducting a flight attendant job search that will help you find the jobs that you want to apply for. 

1. The major airlines are only 10% of the field for yourflight attendant job search. 

There are over 60 small and mid-size airlines in the United States - over 80 if you add Canadian based airlines as well and thousands other around the world. While the major airlines have cut back on hiring and have even furloughed flight attendants since 2001, the small airlines are thriving. If you're looking to work with fractional operators and charter services, the flight attendant job search possibilities are even broader. The jobs are out there - you just need to expand the scope of your job search beyond the Big Six. 

2. Don't overlook traditional job hunt methods in yourflight attendant job search. 

Yes, they do advertise in the local paper's help wanted sections. You'll also find recruitment ads for the airlines in industry publications, so if you're serious about finding a job as a flight attendant, get yourself subscribed to aviation newsletters and magazines. 

3. Harness the power of the Internet to get your flight attendant job search into high gear. 

Do check!!!  You'll find listings for flight attendant open houses and job openings on Monster, HotJobs! and other Internet job sites. You'll also find listings for flight attendant job opportunities on some of the major newspaper's want ad pages. 

But don't stop with the job listings on the job search engines. Because aviation is so industry specific, you'll find the biggest concentrations of job openings and listings on aviation industry specific sites. A simple search for 'flight attendant jobs' will pull up several job search sites specifically for those in aviation. Check them out carefully and join one or two. Even better, find a discussion forum for flight attendants and join that. You can post questions, read information from working flight attendants and keep your eyes peeled for announcements of open houses. 

4. Apply on the company web site. 

Many airlines now have a link for you to upload your resume when you're doing a flight attendant job search. While they may not be hiring when you check, enter your information anyway so that they can send you an invitation when they do mass job interviews and informational meetings in your area. 

5. Networking is still the number one way to find a job. 

Like any other job, it's often who you know that gets your foot in the door in a flight attendant job search. Let people know you're looking - let everyone know you're looking. You might never know that your great Aunt Lucy's next door neighbor's daughter is aflight attendant if you don't mention that you're looking for a job  working for an airline - but it just might be your ticket into the industry. 

Whatever you do, do treat your flight attendant job search seriously. Look at the ads daily, and be sure to have a professional resume and a great cover letter ready to send out to any job openings that you find.

To be continued...

Smith out

How to apply for Cabin Crew jobs

If you wanted to be a flight attendant in the old days, it was a pretty straightforward process. You simply went to the airline's ticket counter, asked for an application and took it home. After you filled it out, you sent it in to the home office and waited for them to call you for an interview. 

Times have changed, and so has the recruitment process for jobs as a flight attendant. These days, the quickest and easiest way to apply for a job as a flight attendant is on the Internet. Your first stop in your job hunt for that perfect flight attendant job is a search engine or directory to find the web sites of as many airlines as possible. Don't forget to include the charter services and fractional owner airlines that are among the highest paying of all jobs as a flight attendant. With that list in hand, fire up your web browser again and start hitting the airline company web sites. 

Be sure that you have your entire resume details gathered together. Many of the airline web sites now do their preliminary screening of applicants for flight attendant jobs over the Internet. You may be able to simply upload your current resume along with a cover letter, or you may have to enter your details into a web form. Many job experts recommend that if you're given a choice, opt to use the provided form rather than uploading your resume. Often, the form feeds names and details directly into a database that the company will use when sending out invitations to applicants to attend group interviews and informational sessions scheduled around the country. 

Telephone Interviews for Flight Attendant Jobs 

Some airlines have recorded telephone interviews to screen out people applying for jobs as a flight attendant. You may find the telephone number in a recruitment ad in your newspaper, or get it through the reservations line for the airline you want to apply to. When you call, you'll hear a short description of the jobs that are available, and then you'll be asked to submit your name, address and contact information over the telephone and to answer several questions about situations that you might run up against in the job. Those recorded interviews will be reviewed by hiring managers, and those that do well on the questions will be invited for face-to-face interviews for jobs as a flight attendant. 

Airline Open House Interviews (and on Campus Recruitment) 

The most common way to begin the process when you're considering a job as a flight attendant is through an open house/interview held by an airline. Airlines often hold these when they're planning to start a new training class, or to open a home base in a new city. Usually, they're advertised in the job sections of the local newspaper a few days before the open house. On the day of the event, the recruiters will give a short presentation about what it's like to work as a flight attendant for their airline. When the presentation is finished, interested applicants will be invited to step up on stage and introduce themselves with a short explanation of their job history and qualifications. Those who seem best suited for the job will be discreetly asked to remain for one on one or small group interviews. 

Because the airlines hire far fewer people in jobs as flight attendants than the number who apply, they can afford to be choosy and hire only those that really catch the eye of the recruiter. That means, though, that you need to be persistent. Don't stop with one airline or one try. Apply to several different companies, and follow up on your resumes. There are far more jobs as flight attendants than you'd expect - you just have to keep looking for them.

Passing the CABIN CREW interview

Many people have e-mailed me and asked me a  bunch of questions. I will do my best to answer most of them, but please be advised that my blog is in continuous development and that I have a job ;)) I need to fly from time to time to pay my bills, food, extravagances and for the internet connexion that keeps me closer to you all. One of the most frequent (also most common) of them is how to pass the Cabin Crew interview. Over the time I tried to advise people on the "tips and tricks" to be used when participating at Open Days or Employer's Assessments. Depending on each person (and employer nonetheless) and the degree of trust they gave to my "expertise" and advices, some of them got in and, some of them are still trying and a few even lost hope, determination and decided to abandon the endeavor of Seeing the World from above. In what is to follow I will introduce you to some of the most important things you need to remember if you decide to take part at an Open Days session or to Apply online or even Mail your intention to HR departments of your dream's Company.

The cabin crew interview is often feared by many candidates and the one part of the selection process that they do not look forward to. However, if you want to become part of the cabin crew team you will need to stand out during the interview stage. Also many candidates believe that the interview signals the end of the entire selection process. Those that have made it this far have done very well as the majority of candidates are asked to leave after the teamwork exercises. It is only the select few that are asked to stay behind and undertake a interview. For many candidates the problem is that they either have not prepared for this stage or they relax because they did not expected to get so far

However, this is arguably the most critical time in your attempt to join your chosen airline. The reason that I say this, is due to the fact that at the interview stage it is the first time the recruitment staff will be able to spend some time with you on a one-on-one, face to face basis. Don't forget people! So far, you will have been assessed on your teamwork and other skills but now its just you and the recruitment staff. You should look at this as an opportunity to present yourself in such a way as to STAND OUT  from the other candidates. Everyone will be nervous at this point but if you have prepared for this, then you will definitely be fine. The question that arises, well how do I prepare for an interview. The key to this stage is trying to think of the questions you may be asked and preparing you responses.

Not all the questions you will prepare will come and not all will be asked in the way you want but by preparing you will be one step ahead of the rest. A typical question that the recruitment staff like to ask is: "The role of a cabin crew member requires the person to be away from home for long periods of time, how will this affect you and are you able to handle this?" The reason that they ask this type of question is not to catch you out but to find out if you have really thought about what the job requires from a candidate. They do not want to be in a position 3 or 4 months down the line where you have decided that you cannot deal with being away from home for that amount of time. A lot of candidates get caught up in the idea of joining their chosen airline and flying around the world without really considering what is means. The recruitment team will be looking for an answer that shows them you have thought about this point and you were mature enough to take this decision before showing up for selection. A good answer may include the point that you are used to being away from home for long periods of time and that this will not be a problem for you. Or maybe that you have children any have given this much thought and you have arranged someone to look after them while you are away. There is not such much a right or wrong answer but more an answer that shows you have considered this fact for your circumstances before endorsing your CV.

To be continued..

Smith out

Emirates accuses Transport Canada

In July 2009 the Toronto Star carried a report about the views Transport Canada has about Emirates Airline and the Emirates response which states that the department is making "slanderous" allegations. This story is being discussed in an aviation forum on Airliners.net. The Financial Post reported Emirates CEO Tim Clark as saying the the Canadian government's approach was "ludicrous" and "protectionism of the worst kind." The Star carried an earlier report about lobbying by Emirates on 28 February 2009.

My read of the situation is that my Canadian counterparts are grappling with one of the more fundamental aeropolitical dilemmas of the last decade - how should governments (it is governments that exchange the air rights on a reciprocal basis) respond the spectacular rise of airlines from the Gulf region? They are not alone.

The home countries of the Gulf carriers are putting together an impressive number of air services arrangements that the carriers can utilise, taking advantage of their geographic location between Europe, Asia and Africa, to exploit the sixth freedom opportunities that as a consequence become available.

Many of these Gulf carriers seem intent on gaining global market share at the expense of profitability, although financial information is simply not disclosed by airlines such as Qatar Airways and Etihad. Not having to pay tax and enjoying some of the cheapest landing fees in the world at their home airports no doubt helps, as does the fact that reciprocal rights for other airlines to serve the Gulf region are often of limited value.